I guess the fact that the teams put forth equal efforts tonight is inadequate to you. Believe it or not, a loss does not mean that the team completely sucked. Sometimes a team plays a good game but doesn't get the bounces.

This sport has officially become soccer. In two more years we will become French Soccer.

So will you leave and stop posting on hockey boards then?

I'm sick and tired of people complaining about the state of game of NHL hockey. In my opinion it's never been better than now.Yeah, it seems like we got some crappy refs tonight, but that happens in all sports. Like fighting go watching MMA or boxing or the fake wrestling.NHL hockey is still the fastest, most physical, most passionate sport out there. It's by far better than baseball, American football, rest-of-the-world football and basketball. Nothing else comes close.

The Thrashers belong in Atlanta, as do the Flames really.
That the franchises didn't flourish there is because of poor ownership in both cases. Look it up.
It has nothing do with lack of fan support. Bettman chose one franchise to back over another because of toxic ownership in Atlanta.
That the NHL isn't in the ninth largest U.S. TV market really is shameful. Especially when that same market is corporate headquarters to UPS, Delta, Home Depot and Coca-Cola.

Still, it's hard deny Canadian enthusiasm for hockey and that counts for a lot.
It's hard though when a team leaves a city. I hate to see it for any fan base.

I think what I"m PO'ed about the most is that the streak was broken by the next closest team in the standings.
Really though, I wouldn't have been happy at all that the streak was broken, but that the Canucks did it, nipping on our heels just makes it that much worse.
The way they did it too - last second goal to tie it as a result of a questionable call and then in a shootout.
Eh oh well ...

Remember that time in 2002 when the Canucks were up 2-0 in the first round of the playoffs, and Lidstrom scores from near the blue line in the third game, and the Wings reeled off four straight wins .... yeah, that was awesome.